Hard Week

All week I have kind of been down in the dumps ever since taking those pictures. All my friends think I'm crazy and swear there is a big difference but it is still hard for me to see. Gaining those 2 pounds has been hard and I still haven't lost them. I think I am just disappointed because I am going to Florida next week and I am going to see a good friend and my in-laws. I was kind of hoping that their reaction would be "oh my freakin gosh!" and I know that it won't be. I really don't look that different compared to when my in-laws saw me at Thanksgiving. This week I am just working on losing the 2 pounds. Don't get me wrong...I am proud of my accomplishments but I am ready to see the 160s and to never look back. I really just want to be in a normal weight. I have to weigh 145 to just have a BMI that is considered "not overweight". That is a long ways from where I am at.

I am trying not to get discouraged. I just printed off some food log sheets and I am going to be very strict about filling them out. I am going to post them as a picture on the blog every day until I leave for Florida. I am also trying to already come up with a game plan for FL. My friend Amanda is coming and she is staying in a condo with a kitchen. I have offered to pay for the groceries if she will do the labor of making our lunches everyday. I know we will do lots of walking on this trip so the biggest thing to not gaining will be what I eat. I'm sure I will get plenty of exercise each day.

Well...here is to my last week before vacation. Now lets get off those 2 pounds!

One Year

I can't lie...I am not happy with these pictures. Travis swears there is a big difference but I just don't see it. This was about a year ago and 40 pounds ago. I feel like I look almost exactly the same! I tried to mimic the same pose. They are different pants but the same shirt. Just in case you can't tell the pics on left are before, pics on right are after.

I have got to get this figured out. My pants are 2 sizes smaller my shirts are smaller but I just feel like I look the same!!! Diet...Diet...Diet. Why do I love to eat so much? I just love yummy food and it all has so many calories in it. Feeling discouraged right now.

I really didn't want to post these pics but I felt like I had to. Maybe this is just what I needed.

Easy Exercises to do at Home: Part 3

Here are three moves that you can try at home:

1) Combat Pushups

They are not really a pushup because you lay on the floor in between but you lift up and do a knee to chest lift, lay flat, pushup and do a knee to chest lift with the other leg, lay flat, roll over and repeat. Try to do 10 total and to go as fast as you can.

2) 1 Leg lunge w/ dumbbell curls

Put one leg on an elevated surface and then squat lunge while doing dumbbell curls. Switch legs and do the other side. Try to do 15 on each side.

3) Jack Jumps

Do four jumping jacks, then do a squat jump while you do a squat jump with a one quarter turn, then do a squat jump with a half turn. Repeat. Do 5 on each side. (this video is cheesy..sorry. It also made me realize that I need a new sports bra, haha)

Wedding Dress

So last night we were in the basement about to watch a movie and while Trav was popping some popcorn I decided to go in the guest room closet and see if there was a light blanket in there. I am weird like that; I'd rather the house be a little on the cold side and get a blanket than to be too hot.

As I opened the closet door the very first thing that I saw was my wedding dress hanging up. I am not sure what got into me but I just decided to try it on and see how far I had to go. Since it was an a-line dress it slid right on but I have about 1-2 inches that need to be lost before it will zip all the way up. I think another 20 pounds and it should fit like a glove. I'll be sure to try it on and take a pic once it fits again.

I definitely was not skinny at my wedding. I think I weighed around 155. I had just gained about 30 pounds after my freshman year of college and after taking the depo-provera birth control shot for the past couple months. That thing was the devil! I gained weight as soon as I took it. It totally screwed with my head too. I was insecure, moody and cried at everything. I later went back to the doctor and they confirmed that all my hormone levels were totally screwed up and my endocrine system out of control. I quit taking it but I had gained 30 pounds in what literally seemed like 60 days.

I have since read about the effects that this has on some women. While most people only gain about 5 pounds there are several occurrences where women have gained a lot of weight. I also recently read a study that pointed out that women that gained weight from the Depo provera shot had a harder time getting it off. The feminists women's health group in Washington DC state that over 70% of women gain weight while using Depo as their form of birth control. This definitely is not the only reason that I gained all my weight but it DEFINITELY started the snow ball effect.

I can't believe that in July, Travis and I will have been married for 13 years. The funny thing is, Travis almost looks exactly the same as he did in this picture. Maybe I can lose the weight, put on the dress and we can recreate this picture. How funny would that be? I am hoping to be able to fit into that dress soon. I wish I could do it by our anniversary but I know that is unrealistic. I'll be keeping you posted. Maybe I need to put it in a place that I will see more often to remind me of my goal!